Date: Thu, 29 Apr 1999 10:19:20 -0400
From: Chuck0 <chuck-AT-tao.ca>
Subject: Re: Send money to anarchists



"Shawn P. Wilbur" wrote:

> But i'm wondering if we can't - or can't also - start to develop support
> structures more stable than piecemeal gifts (to supplement our usual
> arsenal of bake sales and benefit shows). Seems like it wasn't too long
> ago, half the radicals i knew were reading Michael Albert's "Looking
> Forward" and talking loud about economic alternatives, but where are the
> anarchist "banks" or revolving loan funds? All the "cooperatives" in my
> area are almost completely apolitical - largely driven by the lifestyle
> needs of the already well-to-do. My long-delayed (for lack-of-$$$)
> pamphlet reprint series on the history of co-operation is (finally) about
> to get rolling (as a "just-in-time" DTP production), spurred largely by
> the frustrations of antiauthoritarian friends who work (as wage slaves) in
> a local consumer co-op, and can't even seem to find decent information on
> what that ought to mean. (I'll post information on the first title,
> including series subscription info and extext locations, as soon as the
> details are finalized.)
> 
> I'm really interested in organizing my labor and consumer activity outside
> and against the mainstreams of neolib capitalism as much as possible, but
> it's hard to get a pulse from folks when you start talking about that sort
> of resistance. I suspect relatively tame organizations like Co-op America
> probably have stuff going that anarchists could learn from and adapt.
> 
> Anybody out there interested in talking about building some economic
> infrastructure for anarchist projects?

Yes, I am. It's time. We're growing in size pretty quickly. If anything,
the anarchist turnout at Millions4Mumia showed how big we are.

There's nothing stopping us from starting an anarchist bank or some kind
of fund. The key is finding somebody we trust. I think a decentralized
network of funds would be best, because it would minimize outside
disruption.

In terms of economic mutual aid, maybe the anarchist bookstores should
start an association. Now that I'm on the staff of Alternative Press
Review I've been active in the Independent Press Association. Jason
McQuinn, who edits Anarchy and APR, has been in the lead recently as we
are negotiating a collective contract for dozens of alternative
magazines with Desert Moon (a big distributor). The association offers
many benefits to small publishers and it's an example of how effective
it is when we organize collectively.

How about an Anarchist Bookstore Association?

-- 
Chuck0
http://flag.blackened.net/chuck0/home/

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